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Voykit pocket guide · Panama
Bastimentos
Spend 2 days on Bastimentos for beaches, dive and relaxed village vibe; longer if you want multiple hikes or night tours.
Bastimentos Island offers a quiet alternative to Bocas town with walk‑only access, surf‑friendly Wizard Beach, Red Frog Beach, a PADI dive centre and a few budget lodges. A short boat ride from Bocas town makes a 2‑day stay enough to see the main sights and enjoy the laid‑back atmosphere.
- Country
- Panama
- Best months
- Feb–Mar, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (rainy season, trails slippery)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- PAB
- Money
- Currency is the balboa (PAB), fixed 1 to 1 with the US dollar; US dollar notes are the paper money in use, with Panamanian coins.
- Daily spend
- Budget $30–45 excl. bed · Mid $45–70 excl. bed · High $70+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Más Móvil, Tigo and Digicel SIMs at Tocumen and in malls; passport required.
- Emergency
- Police 104 · Fire and ambulance 103 · General emergency 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · US-style plugs.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10% if not added.; Guides and boat crews: US$5–10 per person.; Hotel porters: US$1–2 per bag.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in Panama City and most towns; drink bottled on the islands and in Bocas.
- Toilets
- Western toilets; basic outhouses on San Blas islands.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Meal at Roots or Alvin | $5–$10 |
| Bottle of water | $1 |
| Boat from Bocas to Bastimentos | $5 per person |
| Water taxi to Red Frog Beach | $4 per person |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BOC · Bocas del Toro (Isla Colón) Airport
- Taxi‑boat $5 from Bocas town to Bastimentos
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
No cars; walk the village paths or use water taxis ($4‑5 per person) to beaches.
See and do
Known for
- Wizard Beach
- Red Frog Beach
- PADI dive centre The Dutch Pirate
- Up in the Hill café
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bocas Town (Isla Colón) | Taxi‑boat $5 one‑way, 15 min | ≈30 min round trip |
| Red Frog Beach night bioluminescence tour | Water taxi $4 each way, then walk | ≈1 h total |
Sleep
- Beverly's Hill
- Wooden cabins, 7 rooms, $20+ per double room, walk 100 m from pier
- La Loma Jungle Lodge
- Handmade cabins, $30+ per double room, walk from pier
Language
Spanish with Caribbean-influenced rhythm and plenty of local slang ('chuleta', 'que xopá'). English is common in business and in Bocas del Toro, where Guari-Guari Creole is spoken; the Guna, Emberá, Wounaan and Ngäbe speak their own languages.
- 'Que xopá' is a casual hello (from 'qué pasó' backwards).
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'buenos días'; avoid: Skipping greetings in shops
- Dress: Long trousers in offices and churches; avoid: Beachwear in the city
- Guna communities: Ask before photos, pay the fee; avoid: Walking into homes or ceremonies
Scams and watch-outs
- Robberies with machetes reported on the Old Bank‑Wizard Beach trail; keep valuables in your lodge.
- Strong undertow at Wizard Beach; only experienced swimmers should enter.
- Public drinking prohibited; police may confiscate alcohol.
Robberies have been reported on the Old Bank–Wizard Beach trail; keep valuables in your lodge and travel in groups, especially after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bastimentos yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Wizard Beach
- Red Frog Beach
- PADI dive centre The Dutch Pirate
- Up in the Hill café
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikidata – Bastimentos: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123456
- Wikivoyage: Bastimentos, revision 5309649 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5309649
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/bastimentos). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.